Gay Republican poised to upset incumbent congressman

Richard Tisei, an openly gay Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress from Massachusetts, now has an even shot at beating his opponent, incumbent Democratic Rep. John Tierney, according to a new rating of the race by the paper Roll Call.

The paper recently reclassified the race from “Likely Democratic” to “Toss-up” in its ratings of House races around the country.

Richard Tisei

“Richard is well-known and liked throughout the district. [He’s] spent years defying the odds by being elected by Independents, Republicans, and Democrats. He’s honest and a known problem-solver who cares about people and the future of the country,” said Tisei Campaign Manager Paul Moore.

Tisei has also consistently beaten Tierney in fundraising over the past few quarters, a sign that the GOP thinks the seat could flip.

“In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have imagined that so many people would be supporting our message of change with their pocketbooks — particularly in these very tough economic times,” Tisei told the Washington Blade.

Tisei is one of eight federal candidates endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund in 2012.